WOW, that was the most negative and downright untrue assessment I have ever had the displeasure of reading. DO NOT LISTEN TO THAT GARBAGE THAT "Dave" WROTE. 1.) GET CERTS. Yes, they pay off, handsomely. I ONLY hire people with certifications. Microsoft, Red Hat, Cisco, doesn't matter. They not only show you know the basics, but they show the ability to learn, the "book learning's" of a specific product and the tenacity to follow through. 2.) FORGET the CS bachelors degree, (unless you plan on working for the government). I have had to let go all of my engineers who came in with CS degrees. They did not have the knowledge in the area they applied for. The CS degree gives you an OVERVIEW of various skills, but nothing in-depth. It's sad really, but I've found it's true, (even though I have a CS degree from GW). 3.) Problem solving. That's the key. Having the mental ability to problem solve is the key to a successful tech career. ANYONE can setup an apache server connecting to a backend MySql database. My baby sister (16 years old) has not only done that, but she can do much, much more. Practice problem solving in your area of discipline and you will ultimately be rewarded. Angie Moore President Moore & Angle IT Consulting, Inc. Sterling, VA "We prepare you for the impossible" -----Original Message----- From: redhat-list-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:redhat-list-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Dave Ihnat Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 8:44 AM To: General Red Hat Linux discussion list Subject: Re: RHCE and other certs? On Mon, Apr 16, 2007 at 10:03:30PM -0700, Evan Klitzke wrote: > <<Working on degree, asks about certs>> In decreasing order of importance: 1. Experience. Real experience trumps all--but then, you somehow have to get the chance to get it. However--self-taught *does* make a difference. If you can point to a live, running website on a Linux server running Apache, PostgreSQL or MySQL, etc., it does show both knowledge and the ability to assimilate and apply knowledge. 2. CS degree. This trumps any cert, period. I mean a real degree--one in which you are trained in data structures, algorithms, etc.; not just a Microsoft coding course. You will have been exposed to a broader range of different disciplines than you'll generally be able to work in once you have to pay the rent, and experience has shown that it really, really makes a difference. 3. Certs. Only good ones--something that really required study and validation. I've been working in the field for 30 years, and in general, in that time I've seen almost all certs--including that of "Professional Engineer" in Illinois--carried by worthless gits. The most worthless are vendor certs that are only designed to push their product. Especially after the .bomb around 2000-2002, there was a glut of "certified" individuals (people who'd been laid off and couldn't find work, so filled their time taking certs in areas in which they had no other expertise.) I would probably lend credence to, say, Cisco or RH certs. Virtually none to Microsoft. Others range between those two extremes. You didn't say what degree you're taking--but if it isn't CS, it isn't going to matter nearly as much. And if it is a vendor-oriented degree, ditto. (I don't CARE if you know VB. I care that you understand concepts and problem solving techniques based on underlying knowledge of basics.) Cheers, -- Dave Ihnat President, DMINET Consulting, Inc. dihnat@xxxxxxxxxx 773/550.0929 -- redhat-list mailing list unsubscribe mailto:redhat-list-request@xxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/redhat-list -- redhat-list mailing list unsubscribe mailto:redhat-list-request@xxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/redhat-list
